They are known as fan throated lizards as they have an expandable flap of skin under their throat, known as a dewlap or a gular fan. These lizards expand this dewlap like a fan, for various purposes like warning enemies, courtship, identifying the species, etc. We did not see this one expanding its fan. May be next time!

Date: 14 Jun 2007
Location: @ Mrugavani, Hyderabad, India
Camera: Nikon D80 + Tamron SP AF90mm f/2.8 Di Macro Lens

The photos above and below are of the same frog, taken a few minutes apart. It changed its color from an off-white to a brownish tone! This happened when the frog had moved from its previous location into a bunch of dried leaves and twigs. Such an ability of animals to change its color is called metachrosis.

Metachrosis could be due to several reasons: like the light/temperature/moisture play a vital role in changing the colour. Some amphibians exposed to cold temperature and darkness often exhibit a darkening of their skin due to a melanophorotropic hormone (dark brown – black pigments) release. At higher temperature and light their color tend to get pale due to melanophore contraction. This color change is probably done as part of a hydro-thermal regulation (for regulating its moisture and temperature).

We are not sure if this frog exhibited metchrosis for such a regulation. At first sight we felt it was an instance of “crypsis“, where the animal has the ability to avoid getting noticed, through camouflage, mimicry, etc. However, studies shows that crypsis alone may not be the case of frogs like this one, and hydro-thermal regulations also play a major role. So probably a short time between the dried leaves with less light and colder environment let it change the shade from pale to dark.

The frog in the picture is polypedates occidentalis. To my amazement, the species was identified and named only recently, in 2006 (link provided below). Hence data is deficient to tell if p.occidentalis is a rare species or not. Probably it is a common species for the western ghats region.

A similar frog is the Common Indian Tree Frog, polypedates maculatus, which also has an hourglass like mark on its dorsum. This one is present in central India and neighboring countries.

These spiders are masters of camouflage. Their body coloring is usually brownish, matching with the dry barks, and they change their color according to the surface they are resting on (like these crab spiders). Apart from this, they have a thin flat abdomen, and they lie sticking to the bark as if a part of it. This one, of the hersilia svignyi species, was resting on our garden palm tree, and I found it accidentally, probably when it moved. This particular species is common along South India/Asia.

The two tailed spiders hunt insects which come close to them. The species shown here hunts by throwing the silk on their prey, and running around it depositing the silk, confining the prey.

They are harmless, you see When disturbed, the spider moves to the opposite side of the tree.

Date: 13 Oct 2007
Location: @ home, Kottayam, Kerala, India
Camera: Nikon D80 + Tamron SP AF90mm f/2.8 Di Macro Lens

Reference:
1. B. J. Kaston, 1965: Some Little Known Aspects of Spider Behavior, American Midland Naturalist, 73, 2, 336-356.
2. Department of Zoology, Sacred Heart College, Cochin, Kerala [southindianspiders.com]

I was surprised and happy to find that such details were recorded by the first Mughal Emperor of India. I was more surprised to know that Babur had indeed written an autobiography! Babur came from Persia, and his views on the newly conquered Hindustan are written in his biography. Links to the translated pdf version is given below with the references.

Babur writes, along with the events of the year 932: “The frogs of Hindustān are worthy of notice. Though of the same species as our own, yet they will run twelve or fourteen feet on the face of the water”.

The skipper in these pictures was a permanent resident of our fish pond. Fortunately it feeds mostly on aquatic and non-aquatic insects and we didn’t see any of our fishes disappear The frog usually floats near the vegetation. If disturbed, it skips on the water surface, to some distance. Further provoked, it plunges into the depths.

Date: Nov-Dec, 2007
Location: @ home, Kottayam, Kerala, India
Camera: Nikon D80 | Olympus C770UZ and macro lenses

References:
1. Khan and Tasnim, 1987. A field guide to the identification of herps of Pakistan. Part I: Amphibia, Monograph No. 14. Biological Society of Pakistan, Lahore, pp.1-27 [pdf: cross-reference].
2. Memoirs of Zehīr-ed-Dīn Muhammed Bābur, Emperor of Hindustan, written by himself in the Chaghatāi Tūrki language and translated by John Leyden, Esq., M.D. and William Erskine, Esq. Annotated and Revised by Sir Lucas King, C.S.I., LL.D., F.S.A. [Vol I] [Vol II]
3. Dr. S.D.Biju, University of Delhi

Captured these while a bunch of kids came with their sensei (teacher) to do some snowsliding on the snow heaped just outside my window, in the hokkaido university campus.

Just stay there, I will carry you up the hill!

Hmm… let us try this way…

The problem is here…

Solved! Ok… once more!

You are too heavy to be carried uphill!

The final joy on the way down the snowhill…

These selected photographs are simple, but I feel there is something strong about it. The elements in it, a man, a dog, and a crow says so.

Probably they are the three who learned to adapt to changing environments. The dog and the crow, have always followed the man through his adventures.

How is this year winter treating you so far? Here in north Italy it seems milder than usual.

Apart from the living statues, the above 2 photographs have something in common. The first one has a toy-dog in it, and the second one has a toy dog in it [toy dogs are very small dogs which people keep as pets]. The toy-dog in the first one is guarding the collected money. The 2nd one is merely passing by, in front of a Giorgio Armani shop, and appears funny with one of his front legs in the air Click on the images for a larger version.

In action. The kids are always curious about them

Location: Padova [Padua], Italy

Check here for our gallery on >> street artists of Italy <<

They don’t need to eat or drink anything else as the dung provides all nutrients they need, including water.

Date: 27 Sep 2007
Location: @ Bhoothathankettu, Ernakulam, Kerala, India
Camera: Nikon D80 + Tamron SP AF90mm f/2.8 Di Macro Lens | Olympus C770UZ + MCON-40 Macro Lens

Other than the slender legs and the antennae, do you see a single tubelike projection from its mouth, pointed downwards? This projection is called a “rostrum”, which they use for feeding. Not just feeding, they use this rostrum for catching their prey too! How? Through the rostrum, they inject a deadly saliva, which liquefies the internal parts of the prey. The bug then just have to “suck the juice out” of its catch. In such a way, they could kill and consume insects much larger than their size. No, don’t worry, they are not harmful to you or me At least, the first one was found on our bed, and photographed by Sarah

Date: Jul-Nov, 2007
Location: @ home, Kottayam, Kerala, India
Camera: Nikon D80 | Olympus C770UZ and macro lenses

Ref: InsectIndia Group, Chitra Shanker

Wherever we go, if time and distance permits, we try to make a visit to the local cemeteries. Cemeteries around the world have distinct styles, and talks a lot about the people of that region. They have a lot in common too…

With all due respects to the life that passed by, here are a few from our collection of >> Cemeteries from Around the World <<

Cemetery at the Alps: at Valsavarenche, Aosta, Italy

Turkish Cemetery at the Island of Rhodes, Greece

Cemetery at Kadamattom, Kerala, India

Samurai [of the Nanbu Clan] Cemetery at Hakodate in Hokkaido, Japan

 
Snapshots from the famous European Cemetery at Certosa, Bologna, Italy, which have many artistic and environmental graves:

Past fuels the Present.

An italian lizard and its family have its home here.

Lizard among the Succulents on the grave.

and am sure you would like this photograph taken by Sarah, titled “Resurrected”:

Cemetery at the Alps: at Valsavarenche, Aosta, Italy